Chi-Yu, the Ruinous Pokémon. It controls flames burning at over 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit. It casually swims through the sea of lava it creates by melting rock and sand. The envy accumulated within curved beads that sparked multiple conflicts has clad itself in fire and become a Pokémon.

Overview

Chi-Yu lives up to the fearsome reputation of its legend, its soul searing offense lending credence to its kingdom destroying abilities. Base 135 Special Attack is insane, and alone would cement Chi-Yu as a fearsome attacker, but Chi-Yu’s Beads of Ruin means it is effectively even stronger, melting through even famed special sponges like Blissey, especially in the Sun. Fire Dark has impressive neutral coverage on top of hitting several famed defensive Pokémon like Lunala, Lugia, Giratina, and Necrozma Dusk Mane for super effective, rendering popular defensive backbones useless in the face of Chi-Yu. Chi-Yu’s base 100 Speed helps in this task as a wallbreaker, allowing it to overwhelm many walls simply because they can’t outspeed Chi-Yu and gives Chi-Yu utility against bulkier offensive Pokémon as well.

Chi-Yu’s power is kept in check by a myriad of factors. Fire Dark is unimpressive defensively is singles given the exposure to entry hazards and common Water, Ground and Fighting weaknesses. Throw in a paltry base 55 HP and Chi-Yu struggles to take attacks in general, despite otherwise good Special Defense. Base 100 Speed, while a great benchmark to hit, still falls short of the numerous faster threats running about, leaving Chi-Yu exposed to more offensive teams unless running Choice Scarf itself, leaving a fishy friend with next to no defensive utility. Chi-Yu’s movepool is as shallow as a fishbowl, with only Psychic to complement its STABs, often relying on just its STABs to get the job done, making it rather predictable. The fact that Chi-Yu excels despite all this is testament to the sheer power it wields. Handle this treasure with care or watch your kingdom be reduced to ash.
Positives
Base 135 Special Attack backed by Beads of Ruin pushes the definition of power, allowing Chi-Yu to melt even the bulkiest of sponges with ease.
Fire Dark is fantastic offensively possessing wide neutral coverage, with Fire’s synergy with Sun pushing Chi-Yu’s power over the edge.
Base 100 Speed hits an important benchmark, allowing Chi-Yu to threaten almost every defensive Pokémon in the game just by outspeeding them…

Negatives
…but flounders against more offensive Pokémon that can outspeed and KO it.
Base 55 HP cuts into any defensive viability Chi-Yu can possess
Fire Dark is poor defensively, with exposure to entry hazards, especially Stealth Rock limiting the numer of times Chi-Yu can come in. Extremely shallow movepool making Chi-Yu very predictable.

Movesets

Feesh

-Overheat
-Flamethrower
-Fire Blast
-Dark Pulse
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Item: Choice Specs
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature

Specs Chi-Yu is the offensive team’s answer to bulky stall teams and defensive cores, blasting them with the sheer power of its STABs into oblivion. Overheat is a delete button removing a key part of the opponent’s defense from the opposing field or causing whatever switches in to tank the hit to be maimed at the least if not KO’d in turn, though the loss in momentum from being forced to switch after use can be punished. Flamethrower is the reliable STAB, able to pick up KOs on softened targets or blast down the few who can’t be removed in a single hit. Fire Blast is a compromise between Flamethrower and Overheat, hitting much harder than the former, but at the cost of some reliability, but is not punished as harshly if the opponent makes a good switch into a Fire resist. Dark Pulse is here as neutral coverage for the many Fire-resistant targets looking to tank Chi-Yu’s offense, especially Kyogre, Ceruledge, and Lugia.

Tera Types:
As a wallbreaker, Chi-Yu greatly prefers Tera Fire, enabling it to reach insane damage numbers with ease. Add in Sun and Overheat truly becomes a OHKO move, one shotting the likes of Blissey, Assault Vest Primarina, Giratina Origin, Ting-Lu, which is insane return for so little investment. If not wanting to lock oneself into Overheat, or lacking Sun support, other offensive Teras can be considered for coverage. Tera Fairy is great into Ting-Lu, Multiscale Dragonite, Walking Wake and Roaring Moon on the switch. Tera Grass is great into the numerous Water, Ground and Rock types, such as Kyogre, Primarina, Tyranitar, Azumarill, etc.

EVs and Items:
Max Special Attack and Speed is recommended to outspeed as many defensive and offensive staples as possible while reaching OHKOs. Modest Nature is recommended for the widest range of KOs, though Timid can be invaluable in outspeeding the likes of Urshifu, fast Iron Treads and Great Tusk, Jolly Annihilape, and Mimikyu. Choice Specs is the namesake of the set and does a lot in giving Chi-Yu its overwhelming power. Choice Scarf can be considered, with the movesets being entirely the same, but role is completely different, excelling against offensive teams thanks to the speed boost, but is far more manageable for defensive teams.

Partners:
Sun setters should be seriously considered when running Chi-Yu. The stacking boosts between Specs, Beads of Ruin, Tera Fire and sun provides ludicrous power that OHKOs just about everything not sporting a quadruple resistance or Flash Fire. Koraidon stands out, loving the holes Chi-Yu melts into the opposing teams while possessing an insane speed stat that helps check the fast threats that otherwise check Chi-Yu. Chi-Yu melting Fairy, Psychic and Steel types enables Koraidon’s own STABs to go wild, while Koraidon obliterating opposing Dark and Dragon types enables Chi-Yu as well. Faster allies to help check fast threats are always appreciated, and such allies appreciate Chi-Yu’s wallbreaking capabilities in turn. Zacian Crowned is notable in this aspect, loving Chi-Yu for its ability to remove and compromise notable walls for Zacian such as Necrozma-Dusk Mane, Skeledirge, Ho-oh and Dondozo.

Other Options:
Lava Plume is a weaker alternative to Flamethrower, but is great at crippling physical attackers like Dragonite, Roaring Moon, Koraidon and more on the switch in. Psychic slams Fighting types like Koraidon and Urshifu-Rapid hard, but most such targets are melted by Fire STAB regardless. Memento is a niche option, since Chi-Yu is better off picking up KOs, but can be great when Chi-Yu’s worth is expended to enable setup for another sweeper.

Cursed Blazing Treasure

-Nasty Plot
-Flamethrower
-Dark Pulse
-Overheat
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Item: Life Orb
EVs and Nature:
4 Def / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Modest Nature

Nasty Plot Chi-Yu is anathema to all things slower than it, for after a single boost, almost everything falls in a single blow. Come in for free on a target Chi-Yu naturally outspeeds, setup Nasty Plot as they switch out and start removing everything that tries to face Chi-Yu. Flamethrower and Dark Pulse are reliable STABs, Flamethrower is preferred for its synergy with Sun, though Dark Pulse is great for the quadruple Fire resists and Flash Fire users. Overheat’s Special Attack drop may be anti-synergistic with Nasty Plot but is a great emergency attack for removing the bulkiest of targets, such as Blissey, Assault Vest Ting-Lu, and Tyranitar.

Tera Types:
Tera Fire is tantalizing once again for its synergy with Flamethrower and Overheat, picking up KOs from otherwise targets otherwise thought to be safe. Though given Chi-Yu’s lacking bulk, more defensive Teras can be valued to facilitate setup. Tera Grass is a valued defensive/offensive option, allowing safe setup against Ground and Water typed attackers, while granting a Super Effective Tera Blast for such Pokémon. Tera Ghost provides a valuable Fighting Immunity, but its true value is blocking Extreme Speed and Quick Attack, to common priority moves for dealing with Chi-Yu, blocking revenge KO attempts from slower targets.

EVs and Items:
Chi-Yu is all about offense, so as much speed investment to outspeed as many targets as possible with max Special Attack to get the most damage is only to be expected. Modest Nature is recommended for the widest range of KOs, though Timid can be invaluable in outspeeding the likes of Urshifu, fast Iron Treads and Great Tusk, Jolly Annihilape, and Mimikyu. Life Orb is fantastic for pushing damage and reaching KOs, but makes Chi-Yu even more vulnerable to being KO’d and played around, especially if it took a big hit while setting up. More defensive items can be used to facilitate setup, from Heavy Duty Boots so that Chi-Yu doesn’t get torn apart by hazards on the switch in, while Focus Sash is great in hazard lite formats for guaranteeing setup through at least one attack.

Partners:
Allies that facilitate setup are invaluable for Chi-Yu. Grimmsnarl’s Screens and Parting Shot are great at giving Chi-Yu a badly needed bulk boost. Alternatively, Ribombee’s Sticky Webs provide invaluable Speed Control that not only increases the number of targets Chi-Yu threatens out, but greatly facilitates sweeping once it gets going. Sun setters should be seriously considered when running Chi-Yu. The stacking boosts between Specs, Beads of Ruin, Tera Fire and sun provides ludicrous power that OHKOs just about everything not sporting a quadruple resistance or Flash Fire. Koraidon stands out, loving the holes Chi-Yu melts into the opposing teams while possessing an insane speed stat that helps check the fast threats that otherwise check Chi-Yu. Chi-Yu melting Fairy, Psychic and Steel types enables Koraidon’s own STABs to go wild, while Koraidon obliterating opposing Dark and Dragon types enables Chi-Yu as well.

Other Options:
Psychic offers niche coverage against Urshifu-Rapid, Eternatus and Koraidon while not forcing Chi-Yu to suffer the Special Attack drop of Overheat Substitute punishes attempted defensive switch-ins and wards against status like Thunder Wave.

Doubles and VGC Options

Chi-Yu immediately made a splash on the competitive scene in the Doubles format once it was announced. Beads of Ruin, as absurd as it is in Singles, is even more so in Doubles, passively debuffing the opposition and making Chi-Yu’s Special Attacking partner even more threatening, just by Chi-Yu being on the field. Weather being even stronger in Doubles than in Singles greatly facilitates sun access, making Chi-Yu a natural inclusion on such teams. Throw in Chi-Yu’s own power and that is a lot of pressure of the field from the word go that can result in KOs from a single misstep. Chi-Yu’s frailty is still a huge hinderance, with the multiple Pokémon nature of Doubles making it difficult for Chi-Yu to pick up the KOs it needs. Beads of Ruin also impacts Chi-Yu’s partner, which in conjunction with Chi-Yu’s lack of bulk makes such formations volatile, where Chi-Yu’s own team can be KO’d just as easily.

Twin Fires

-Heat Wave
-Overheat
-Dark Pulse
-Snarl
Ability: Beads of Ruin
Item: Covert Cloak
Tera Type: Fire
EVs and Nature:
4 HP / 252 SAtk / 252 Spe
Timid Nature

Chi-Yu’s primary goal in any match is damage, from both its partner and itself. Heat Wave is incredible spread damage, tearing off half HP of even bulky Pokémon like Farigarif, and Bloodmoon Ursaluna, let alone the numerous frailer Pokémon running about. Overheat is for removing truly sturdy targets like Assault Vest Iron Hands and post Tera Assault Vest Raging Bolt, picking off needed KOs, or softening up such targets for a partner’s follow up. Dark Pulse is the reliable Single target option, not blocked by Wide Guard and possessing perfect accuracy while slamming many popular Psychic types like the Calyrex Riders, Indeedee, and Farigarif. Snarl rounds out the set, giving Chi-Yu defensive utility by sapping the opposing team’s Special Attack, while still dealing decent damage.

Chi-Yu retains the same attacker EV spread of Max Special Attack and Speed as singles to deal as much damage as possible and outspeed as many targets as possible. Timid nature is strongly recommended here, given Urshifu’s far greater popularity in Doubles, so the nature boost needed to outspeed Max Speed Urshifu is well worth the investment. Covert Cloak is recommended as a reliable answer against Fake Out, preventing opponents from stopping Chi Yu from blasting them. Tera Fire is recommended here, pushing Chi-Yu’s STABs to absurd heights. With Sun Support, Tera Fire Heat Wave starts looking closer to Kyogre’s Water Spout, picking up OHKOs left and right while even resistant Pokémon start taking catastrophic levels of damage. If not running Covert Cloak, Tera Ghost is another strong recommendation; Chi-Yu needs to deal damage as its niche, so preventing Fake Out from disrupting it is invaluable.

Other Options & Partners:
: Any Special Attacker loves Chi Yu for the passive damage buff it provides; among the Special Attacking restricted Pokémon, only Kyogre does not see much Chi-Yu use due to the fierce anti synergy from Rain. Terapagos loves Chi-Yu for enabling it to get the most out of its Tera Starstorm shots, getting KOs left and right. Calyrex Shadow Rider and Miraidon also love the Special Defense drop Chi-Yu provides and have unique synergies like Calyrex Shadow Rider checking opposing Fighting types and Chi-Yu being a great answer into Rillaboom, who is a huge problem for Miraidon. As Chi-Yu’s greatest threat is faster attackers, Tornadus has proven to be an incredibly popular partner, its Prankster Tailwind allowing Chi-Yu to get the jump on those that would KO it and Tornadus’ own Bleakwind Storms become startingly strong when backed by Beads of Ruin. Just like in Singles, Chi-Yu flourishes on Sun teams, boosting its Fiery offense to blistering heights. Koraidon has the same synergy with Chi-Yu in Doubles as it does in Singles as a result. Raging Bolt and Flutter Mane are also common partners in crime on such teams, benefitting from both Koraidon’s Sun and Chi-Yu’s Special Attack drop for outright incredible offense.

Protect is as amazing as ever in Doubles, though Chi-Yu does often struggle to fit it on its moveset, though the utility of keeping Chi-Yu safe while its Beads of Ruin saps the opposing team’s Special Defense is tantalizing.
Taunt is niche but works fantastically against Trick Room teams as well as setup sweepers like Calm Mind Terapagos, and Raging Bolt.
Choice Scarf is incredibly popular, providing Chi-Yu its own answer to its Speed without relying on partners. Such sets often run Tera Ground to handle Miraidon and opposing Fire types like Incineroar.
Focus Sash forces opponents to double up into Chi-Yu in order to remove it, allowing it to stick around and provide damage for longer.

Countering Chi-Yu

Chi-Yu’s offensive power is so great that it is incredibly difficult to handle defensively. Specs and Nasty Plot sets are well deserved for their reputations to pick up KOs on just about everything, but this power is conditional and can be exploited.

Part of what makes Chi-Yu so deadly is the sun, so depriving Chi-Yu of the sun can greatly cut into Chi-Yu’s power. As a result, Tyranitar is probably the closest thing to a reliable defensive Chi-Yu check, resisting both STABs while overwriting the searing sun with buffeting sands that make Tyranitar incredibly bulky, though non-Assault Vest Tyranitar can still be 2HKO’d by Tera Fire Specs/Nasty Plot Overheat. Kyogre is a lesser example, faring well against Chi-Yu’s Fire STAB though Chi-Yu’s Dark STAB will still cleanly 2HKO without Assault Vest.

Additionally, it should be noted that it is only the Nasty Plot and Choice Specs sets that have the supreme power Chi-Yu is famed for. Scarf Sets, while far more difficult to handle offensively, are in turn possible to handle defensively. Famed Sponges like Blissey, Ho-oh, Assault Vest Ting-Lu, and Specially Defensive Eternatus can all tank Scarf Chi-Yu’s Tera Fire Overheats and proceed to outgrind it, though the latter must still be wary of Psychic.

Checking Chi-Yu offensively is much more viable given its lack of bulk, though few can switch in directly. Choice Band Multiscale Dragonite is notable for being one of the few offensive Pokémon that can switch into a Sun Boosted Tera Fire Specs Overheat, survive and OHKO on the crackback with Tera Normal Extreme Speed. Other priority users like Arceus, and Urshifu Rapid can pick off a slightly chipped Chi-Yu, regardless of Choice Scarf, while numerous naturally faster attackers like Koraidon, Miraidon, Zacian Crowned, Iron Bundle, offensive Arceus forms, max Speed Iron Treads, etc. all dispatch non Scarf Chi-Yu with ease.

Anime Appearences

Chi-Yu has yet to make an appearance in the anime. # -English Episode Name- -Jp. Episode Name- Pics